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Today's News

• Samantha J. Hill, 24, Madison, was arrested on Sept. 7 for failure to appear in court on a charge of aggravated battery. Bond was $25,000.
• William C. Duff, 50, Tower Hill, was being held in contempt of court until Sept. 10, according to the arrest log.
• Tim E. Mason, 33, 104 W. Seventh St., St. Elmo, was arrested on Sept. 6 on charges of resisting or obstructing a peace officer and possession of less than 2.5 grams of cannabis. Bond was $1,000.

Thursday, September 9
✔ TOPS IL 2490 will meet from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Ramsey. Weigh-in is from 9-9:30 a.m. For more information, contact Dovie Heaton-Bergin at 283-1729.
✔ TOPS IL 1872, Ramsey, will meet at the Christian Church in Ramsey. Weigh-in is at 6:20 p.m., and the meeting is at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Donna Morell at 423-2916.
Friday, September 10
✔ A country music dance will be held at 7 p.m. at the Patoka Service Center, 210 W. Bond St. Admission is by donation.
Saturday, September 11

Carlinville came to Vandalia ready to run last Friday night and did just that, piling up four touchdowns on the ground by halftime en route to a 41-7 win.
The Cavaliers (2-0) showed their commitment to the run on their first possession, gaining 51 yards on six rushes, including a 14-yard scamper by sophomore Brendan Stewart for a touchdown.
Three Carlinville players – Stewart, senior Bobby Simmons and sophomore Cory Farneti – each carried the ball twice for the Cavaliers, their speed and pre-snap movement the key to their success.

In the first photo, 3-year-old Gavin Sanders sinks his teeth into a slice of watermelon during the watermelon eating contest on Monday afternoon at the St. Elmo Labor Day Celebration. In the second photo, Mayor Larry Tish (left) presents the Citizen of the Year Award to Roy "Junior" Evans. In the third photo, St. Elmo Fire Chief Doug Engeljohn calls out numbers for bingo. More photos from the celebration will be available on our website, www.leaderunion.com, later this week.

As he noted a large decrease in revenues in the past year, the person who heads up the firm preparing the city of Vandalia’s audit said it’s time for city officials to take a close look at its spending.
“We’re in tough times,” Dale Timmermann of Timmermann and Co. Ltd. told the Vandalia City Council on Tuesday night. “You really need to think about the budget you adopted earlier this year, because you will not be able to meet your obligations.

The rural Farina teen charged with murdering a Loogootee couple in their home last month is now being represented by a private attorney.
At a brief hearing in Fayette County Circuit Court on Wednesday morning, Monroe McWard of Taylorville told Judge William Becker that he had been hired to represent Clifford W. Baker.
Baker replaces Fayette County Public Defender Ed Potter, who was appointed by Becker to represent the rural Farina teen.

Though there was no outside program for last Wednesday’s meeting of the Vandalia Chamber of Commerce, its officers used the occasion to hold an open discussion about the future direction of the organization.
Before that discussion was held, it was announced that this year’s chamber president, Shaun Murray, had resigned because his new job in Effingham makes it impossible for him to fulfill his duties with the local chamber.

“Shiver Me Timbers," a pirate ship is dry-docked in the Brownstown Elementary School library…much to the delight of the BES students.
Thanks to the ingenuity and ship-building skills of “Captain Melvin” (Willms) and “First Mate Jerry” (Reed), who answered the plea of Lady Verla, a.k.a. by the students as Mrs. Reed.

1995 – The Old Settlers Social, an event which featured an old-fashioned ham and beans dinner, music and a performance by the 175th Celebration Dancers, raised about $4,000 for the restoration of the old Presbyterian Church in Vandalia.
Karen Chaplin, a native of California, was sworn in as the new postmaster at the Brownstown Post Office.
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Timmons were planning to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.

The story of Joe Trammel is one I have visited before in this column. Along with George Welsh and Jefferson Hastings, he was charged with the murder of an Oconee farmer by the name of Morris.
Robbery was the motive, but a little killing didn’t seem to upset Joe Trammel, as he fired through a window, shooting John Morris in the head as he sat "at table."
Truths retained in the old family stories handed down from generation to generation never cease to amaze me. Finding supporting facts that bear out these stories is something else.